Nancy Whiskey

Elise, Nancy and the daughters of the house, Penelope and Mary, were intimately occupied for a time with a discussion of fashion and hair. Nancy thought both girls showed future promise as belles of the town, but that neither would surpass their mother’s beauty with her striking cast of hair. Though Nancy proclaimed herself a country dowd compared to London ladies, Elise graciously asserted she was closer to the pulse of the fashionable world than they in their backwater.

Trueblood was drawn into the conversation to give his opinion on the comparative merits of the open polonaise over the round gown, so that Daniel had a chance to convey to Norton his concerns over the Canadian, Dupree.

“I shall set a man on to follow him.”

“I can manage it for the next few days,” Daniel offered.

“You are too well known to him. If he has indeed detected your mission, your illustrious career may be at an end, Daniel.”

“In other words I had best play the blockish merchant with intensity.”

“To the hilt.”

“It will not be difficult, with both Nancy and Trueblood cutting at me.”

“I have seen that look before, Daniel.”

“What look?”

“You are like a leashed dog whose bone has rolled just beyond his reach, watching another hound about to make off with it.”

“Sorry, I will try to contain myself.”

“No, do not. Jealousy becomes you. Just do not lose your head.”

“I shall be hard put not to make a serious blunder tonight.”

Norton did ask Elise to put dinner back, resulting, Nancy thought, in Daniel having one brandy too many. Or was that a ruse? Genet made a late appearance and apologized too profusely for his tardiness. Nancy had thought he looked French, with those sensual lips of his, even before he opened his mouth. Trueblood cast a tolerant eye upon him, while Daniel consulted his watch with a blank look. It was like a mask, Nancy thought, that face Daniel put on for company. No, not company—For an enemy. It was interesting to her that the voluble Trueblood, flanked by the daughters, was seated across from Genet, who had Daniel on his right and her on his left. Mr. and Mrs. Norton observed the party from either end of the elaborately laid table.

Had Daniel been across from Genet, that might have set them against each other as opponents. A man is more apt to trust a man at his side. How Nancy knew this she did not bother to consider. She had been at enough dinner parties to draw her conclusions from observation, setting aside her considerable instinct. Daniel had all the leisure in the world to observe Genet covertly, she thought, with that half-drunken smile loosely worn to shield himself from Genet’s gaze.

Elise stirred uncomfortably, and it occurred to Nancy that the lady must think she had been looking critically at her table settings. “Such a lovely service of china, Mrs. Norton. I have been racking my mind to discover the pattern, which looks familiar. But if I ever knew it, I have forgotten.”

“Why, thank you. It is a special order from Sheffield. It was a present from Daniel and Trueblood, a rather belated wedding gift.”

“It was a rather belated wedding,” Norton put in, causing his wife to blush.

Norton was not drunk either, Nancy concluded, but he was doing a good imitation of it.

They spoke of china and other elegances, the cost of obtaining them in America, and moved thence to trade, the deficit, America’s debts to France, her apparent inability to pay. Daniel tsked over this, but could see no ready solution. He seemed such a selfish, complacent man even to Nancy, and she knew better.

If Daniel wanted to get something from Genet, she thought, he was going the long way about it. “I did particularly want to meet you,” Nancy said to Genet. “You were so late, I feared I would miss the opportunity.”

“And what a loss it would have been for both of us, Miss Riley,” Genet leaned toward her to say. “You must let me explain the reason for my tardiness. I had business at the harbor. An English merchant ship has been brought in by the Embuscade and I was inspecting her. She will be recommissioned La Petite Démocrate.” Genet raised his glass as if he were making a toast.

“I prefer the Little Sarah,” Nancy said, taking a bite of capon.

“You know the ship?” Genet asked in pleasant surprise.

“I was on it.” Nancy took another bite while Genet fumbled with his wine.

“A passenger?”

“Yes, until that pirate bore down and nearly sank us. You should speak to him about such lawlessness. It makes a very bad impression.”

Genet gaped, as though a housewife had admonished him for his son throwing rocks at her chickens, then began to spout excuses in French, which she heard with only half an ear.

Nancy saw Daniel’s eyes glitter with amusement, not brandy. He was neither drunk nor trapped. That meant Genet was here for Daniel’s benefit, not the reverse. So this Norton was involved with Daniel and Trueblood more than socially. Well, if Daniel hoped to learn something from Genet, she had to throw them together as allies.

“Vous comprendez? He is a privateer, not a pirate,” the ambassador was saying. “The ship was taken in the name of the Republic of France.”

“Privateer? Is that the French word for pirate, the way embuscade means ambush?”

“Non, non, I say. He was commissioned by my government. You must understand, we are at war with England.”

“France is always at war with England. That is no excuse for accosting civilians on the high seas. One sailor had his head taken off by a cannonball, and I would not be surprised if some of the wounded did not die from those vicious splinters. Daniel himself took a bad one. And poor Trueblood was knocked overboard.”

“Monsieurs, forgive me for any inconvenience,” Genet said over the shocked gasps of the other ladies.

“Inconvenience!” Nancy repeated in apparent astonishment.

Both Tallents made deprecating noises, as though the whole incident were forgotten.

“Mais oui, I forget, you are a woman. What do you know of such matters?”

“Apparently a great deal more than you. I was there. Even making allowance for them being French, I found your countrymen crude and offensive.”

“Making allowance?” Genet sputtered.

Elise had turned away to bite her lip. Trueblood had his face buried in his wineglass, and Nancy thought she could detect bubbles. The girls looked expectantly at their father, who seemed oblivious to Genet’s discomfort. In desperation Genet turned to Daniel, who shrugged in sympathy.

“Monsieur, you were on that ship. Surely you did not regard it as an inhumane act?”

“Why, no, luck of the draw, I would say.”

“Was any disrespect shown to this woman?”

“Now that you.mention it, the seamen did search her baggage, and you know how women are with their laces and…such.” Daniel fluttered his fingers to indicate, Nancy supposed, frilly undergarments. “I expect that is why Miss Riley has taken such a pet. To have strange hands mauling her finery…” Daniel shuddered.

The daughters gasped even more at this ugly thought.

“Dirty hands they were, as well. Not to mention the language. I am quite certain the captain made an indecent proposal to me,” Nancy said, nailing Genet with a menacing stare.

“Why, I do not comprehend how this misunderstanding could have happened. The captain said the only woman on board was a—a…”

“Yes, go on,” Nancy prompted, her lips parted in expectation.

“Non, forgive me. I am sure he misread the entire situation. But he implied you were fluent in French.”